Chair

ABSTRACT

The specification describes the construction of a seat and a backrest for a tip-up type theater chair. A resilient body is covered on one face and four edges by a removable fabric cover. The cover has a hem containing a reinforcing cord. There are a number of eyelets formed in the fabric cover adjacent the hem. The resilient body is supported on a rectangular frame which has a number of hooks projecting into the rectangular space inside the frame and towards the resilient body. The hem of the cover is taken around the frame, underneath it and into the rectangular space within the frame where the apertures along the hem are hooked onto the hooks on the frame. The cover is thus held tightly over the resilient body. The frame is held in a casing and the casing together with the frame and upholstery forms a unit (backrest, armrest or seat) for a chair. The construction of the casing is discussed in detail.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jose Flgueras Mitians 2,589,9013/1952 Van Doren 297/218 Calle Muntaner, 515 Barcelona, Spain 2,608,2438/1952 Kotrowski 297/218 {21] Appl. No. 790,410 3,182,377 5/1965 Hoven297/452 P fef nted ge 22 I Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado a 9 At2] Priority J 1968 torney Stemberg & Blake [33] Spain l ,780 ABSTRACT:The specification describes the construction of a seat and a backrestfor a tip-up type theater chair. A resilient 54 CHAIR body is covered onone face and four edges by a removable 1 9 i 12 Draw! Fi s fabric cover.The cover has a hem containing a reinforcing a 3 g cord. There are anumber of eyelets formed in the fabric cover [52] U.S. Cl 297/219,adjacent the hem. The resilient body is supported on a rectan- 297/219,297/452 gular frame which has a number of hooks projecting into the [51]Int. Cl i. A47c 27/00 rectangular space inside the frame and towards theresilient [50] Field of Search 297/218, body. The hem of the cover istaken around the frame, un-

2, 45 derneath it and into the rectangular space within the frame wherethe apertures along the hem are hooked onto the hooks [56] RdenncesCited on the frame. The cover is thus held tightly over the resilientUNITED STATES PATENTS body. The frame is held in a casing and the casingtogether 2,343,505 3/1944 Gedris 297/452 with the frame and upholsteryforms a unit k armrest 2 550 479 4/1951 Hove" 297/452 or seat) for achair. The construction of the casing is discussed in detail.

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SHEET 1 UF 3 INVENTOR usmue/mg MITJANS ATTRNEY CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in theconstruction of chairs having tip-up seats, suitable for the auditoriumsof, for example, theaters and the like, and relates particularly toarrangements for enabling replacement of parts, without necessarilydismantling the chair.

The use of this type of chair requires, in addition to robust qualities,simplicity of mechanism, and comfort and finish", the ability to effectrapid and simple replacement of the upholstery covers, which are themost vulnerable part of the chair.

Such replacement, can sometimes be troublesome, requiring the employmentof skilled labor and time.

It is desirable to have upholstery covers which may be changed rapidlyand simply. Thus maintenance of the covers need not be the only reasonfor change, they may be easily changed for any particular event, changein season, a visual, temporary or permanent classification of categoriesof tickets or seats, or simply decorative caprice.

Furthermore, the upholstery which has been replaced will not necessarilybecome useless. A dye wash or some other type of treatment may be used,thus preserving the upholstery in good condition for effecting a change,with a consequent economy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the preset invention we provide anupholstered unit for a chair, the unit including a removable upholsterycover, retained on the unit by an elongate member having a plurality ofhooks on one face, the removable upholstery cover being impaled on thehooks near its edge.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The description which followsdiscusses by way of example two embodiments of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 shows a seat body of a first embodiment and having an upholsterycover,

FIG. 2 is a view of a seat-support casing,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section showing the assembled seat unit,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the engagement of the seat cover,

FIG. 5 shows the same detail in perspective,

FIG. 6 is a vertical section through a bearing for the seat unit and apivot pin,

FIG. 7 shows two perpendicular sections of a socket and pivot pin,

FIG. 8 shows the air vents in the support casing,

FIG. 9 is a view of a backrest frame which is a second embodiment of theinvention,

FIG. 10 is a view of the back-supporting casing,

FIG. 11 shows a vertical section through the back unit, and

FIG. 12 shows, in section, a detail of the engagement of the upholsteryin the back frame and the securing thereof to the support casing.

A chair seat for a tip-up seat embodying the invention will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

An elastic or resilient body of moulded spongy material 1, forming thebase of a seat, is shown in FIG. 1. It has a removable fabric cover 2,the edges of which terminate in a hem 3 in which is contained a cable orcord 4.

The body 1 is supported by an assembly consisting of a metal frame 5 ofL-shaped cross section containing a network of spiral springs 6 securedto collector plates 7 which are connected by tie means. There are hooks9 in the vertical wall 8 of the frame 5 the points of which are directedupwardly from the base of the frame 5 and the hooks lie inwardly intothe space inside the vertical walls 80f the frame. The hooks 9 areformed by pushing out portions of the wall 8, which then formprojections from the wall, leaving apertures in it.

A support casing is sown in FIG. 2. The casing is moulded in a singlepiece and is shaped to contain, with play, the edges of the frame 5. Thecasing has air vents 10 in its bottom face and projections 11 and 12about its walls. The casing also contains bearings 13 for pivoting thesupport casing to the sides of a chair. The walls of the casing adjacentthe bearings 13 are reinforced by ribs 14.

FIG. 3 shows the assembled unit of body 1, frame 5, and support casing.The resilient or elastic body 1 bears on the network of springs 5 and,at its edges, overlaps the top edge of the frame 5. The fabric cover 2extends beyond the body I and is folded around the frame 5 to engage thehooks 9 in each of the four walls of the frame 5. Eyelets, or slits, 19are provided in the fabric cover 2 for this purpose (FIG. 4). From FIG.3. it will be seen that the frame 5 bears on the projections 11 and 12of the support casing and also on the bearings 13, and is retained inthe casing by compression of the resilient body 1 between the end 16 ofthe casing and the curved-over end 15.

The seat body and frame are also held in position in the casing by theirweight. When the seat is lowered, this weight is borne on theprojections 11, and when the tipped-up position by the projections 12and held by the curved end 15.

Optionally, it will be possible to lodge, in the space between thebearings 13 and the projections 12, a counterweight cooperating in thepivoting of the seat when it is tipped-up, turning on pivots 18associated with the bearings 13.

FIG. 4 shows in more detail the positioning of the fabric on the hooks9. The eyelets 19 are made in the fabric of the cover 2 adjacent the hem3, and the fabric passes over the hooks so that the cord 4 lies betweenthe hooks and the wall 8 of the frame, and the edge of the cover isimpaled on the hooks.

The right-hand portion of FIG. 4 shows, in front view, an inner face ofthe frame. This view shows a hook 9 projecting past the hem 3, afterhaving passed through the eyelet 19 formed in the fabric cover 2. Afurther view of the engagement of the upholstery cover is shown in FIG.5 (in perspective); the view shows the position of the hem 3 with thecord lying behind the hooks 9.

The sections of the bearings 13 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 show one means ofsecuring the removable tip-up seat to the sides of the chair.

A pivot pin 18, mounted in the bearings 13 is secured. within thesupport casing, by a nut 21 and washer 21a. The pivot pin 18 has, at theouter end, a head of larger diameter than the head 22 which is securedto the chair sides. The socket 23 (FIGS. 6 and 7) has an aperture 26 inits upper section, shaped to allow the pin 18 and head 22 to pass intothe socket 23. The socket 23 contains a rotatable ring 27, in the spacebetween the outer diameter of the head 22 and the interior of thesocket. The said ring 27 also has a notch to allow the passage of thehead 22. When the head is positioned inside the socket 23, the ring 27is turned to close the aperture in the socket 23 and so retain the pin18 and head 22 in position. The seat body and easing may then be removedentirely from the supporting sides of the chair by turning the ring 27to open the aperture in the socket 23 and then lifting the pin from thesocket.

FIG. 8 shows a detail of the air vents 10 formed in the bottom of theseat casing. A central port 20 enables access to the interior of thecasing and may be closed by a plate. The plate may carry detailsrelating to the make, number and other data of interest, readily legibleon tipping up the seat.

A chair back for a tip-up seat embodying the invention will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

A metal frame 28 of L-shaped cross section associated with a backrest(FIG 9) differs inpositioning from the frame 5 of the seat in that itbears on its support casing 31 with both edges of the L-section frame,through the fabric cover. The inner walls of the rectangle formed by theframe are formed with hooks 29, the points of which extend upwards andtowards the interior of the frame. The frame 29 also has catches 30welded at an appropriate height along the major sides of the frame toengage under projections 32 of a casing 31 to retain the frame inposition at the upper end 36 of the casing (FIG. 10).

The casing 31 has internal dimensions which are larger than thecorresponding external dimensions of the frame. Screws at 33 secure thecasing to the chair sides and the walls of the casing are reinforced atthose points. The lower edge of the easing carries resilient stops 17against which the seat bears when in the lowered position.

FIG. 11 shows the engagement of the frame 28 within the support casing31, with a spongy, elastic body 34 to form a unit. The body 34 iscompressed between the ends 35 and 36 of the casing. The lower ends ofthe body 34 and frame 28 are supported in a curved-over portion of theend 35 of the casing; the weight of the body urges it into the lower end35. The body 34 occupies the space between a cover 37 and the interiorof the casing 31, extending through the rectangle formed by the frame 28and bearing on the frame.

The hem 3, of the cover 37 (FIG. 12) is taken around the frame 28, intothe rectangle and is impaled, through the eyelets provided, on the hooks29.

FIG. 12 also shows, in detail, the retaining of the frame 28 by theprojection 32 extending below the catch 30 which passes through aneyelet in the upholstery cover 37.

A change of upholstery or cover will necessarily require the removalfrom the support casings (as normally takes place in known designs). inthe seat, the body 1 and its frame are simply pulled out of the casingagainst the force of the compression between the ends 15 and 16.

In the back rest, the body 34 and the frame 28 are pulled from thecasing, the casing bending outward to allow the catches 30 to pass overthe projections 32 of the casing.

To remove the upholstery covers the eyelets are unhooked from the hooks9 and 29 of each frame. Refitting of a cover is effected with equalsimplicity, since it suffices to pass the eyelets over the associatedhooks, in order to secure the upholstery into the unit. A slightpressure is necessary to push the seat and backrest into theirrespective support casings.

When the seat is lowered for use, its lowered position is determined bythe abutment of the rear edge of the seat against the stops 17 on thebackrest. In the tipped-up position the upholstered surfaces of the seatand backrest come into contact.

I claim:

1. An upholstered unit having a resilient body, a cover over the body, aframe at one side of the body, the frame being open-centered, aplurality of hooks on the frame and projecting into the center of theframe and towards the body, the cover lying over the other side of thebody and having an edge, the edge being taken around the frame into thecenter of the frame, and being impaled on the hooks to hold the cover inposition.

2. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the edge of thecover has a hem reinforced with a cord, the cord lying between the hooksand the frame on engagement of the apertures with the hooks.

3. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the body issupported by springing across the base within the frame.

4. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the body and frameare removably supported in a casing, the casing enclosing the face ofthe body remote from the upholstery cover and gripping the edges of thebody.

5. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the body is a seatand the casing is pivotally mounted to a support for the seat.

6. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the body is abackrest and the frame is retained in the casing by engagement of theframe with projections on the casing at its upper edge.

7. In an article of furniture, the improvement consisting of anupholstered unit including a resilient body, a frame supporting thebody, the frame being open-centered, a cover having an edge and lyingover one side of the body, a casing on the other side of the body, aplurality of hooks on the frame and projecting into the center of theframe and towards the body, the cover extending around the frame andbeing impaled on the hooks to hold the cover in position, the casingenclosing and supporting the frame to grip the body, the casing beingadapted to be attached to a support in the article of furniture.

8. The improvement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the casing is adaptedto be pivotally mounted to a support in the article of furniture, thecasing containing the abutments to abut the frame and hold it againstmovement in two mutually perpendicular planes.

9. The improvement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the easing is adaptedto be rigidly secured to a support in the article of furniture.

1. An upholstered unit having a resilient body, a cover over the body, aframe at one side of the body, the frame being opencentered, a pluralityof hooks on the frame and projecting into the center of the frame andtowards the body, the cover lying over the other side of the body andhaving an edge, The edge being taken around the frame into the center ofthe frame, and being impaled on the hooks to hold the cover in position.2. An upholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the edge of thecover has a hem reinforced with a cord, the cord lying between the hooksand the frame on engagement of the apertures with the hooks.
 3. Anupholstered unit according to claim 1 wherein the body is supported byspringing across the base within the frame.
 4. An upholstered unitaccording to claim 1 wherein the body and frame are removably supportedin a casing, the casing enclosing the face of the body remote from theupholstery cover and gripping the edges of the body.
 5. An upholsteredunit according to claim 1 wherein the body is a seat and the casing ispivotally mounted to a support for the seat.
 6. An upholstered unitaccording to claim 1 wherein the body is a backrest and the frame isretained in the casing by engagement of the frame with projections onthe casing at its upper edge.
 7. In an article of furniture, theimprovement consisting of an upholstered unit including a resilientbody, a frame supporting the body, the frame being open-centered, acover having an edge and lying over one side of the body, a casing onthe other side of the body, a plurality of hooks on the frame andprojecting into the center of the frame and towards the body, the coverextending around the frame and being impaled on the hooks to hold thecover in position, the casing enclosing and supporting the frame to gripthe body, the casing being adapted to be attached to a support in thearticle of furniture.
 8. The improvement as claimed in claim 7 whereinthe casing is adapted to be pivotally mounted to a support in thearticle of furniture, the casing containing the abutments to abut theframe and hold it against movement in two mutually perpendicular planes.9. The improvement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the casing is adaptedto be rigidly secured to a support in the article of furniture.